Pinto Beans in Smoky Tomato Sauce (Use it/Lose it day 4)

Breakfast: Cheese Grits and milk


Lunch: Fried Rice (using the one portion of Steak Em I have left, along with the veggies in my house right now)


Dinner: Pinto Beans in Smoky Tomato Sauce (recipe follows) with rice and green beans


Snack: Applesauce with cinnamon sprinkled on top

Pinto Beans in Smoky Tomato Sauce
(Whole sauce recipe is 3 Points Plus value)

What You Need:

• 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 a large onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 Tbsp chipotle powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooked pinto beans (1 cup per person should do)

How it's Done:

1. Sautee the onion in the olive oil until soft (about five minutes). Add the garlic, cooking and stirring another 30 seconds. Stir in the seasonings.
2. Serve with pinto beans & rice. Queso fresco is excellent on top.

Onion Dip with Greek Yogurt (Use it/Lose it day 3)

So far, so good! We've got plenty of food and haven't had to get too creative. Here's what was on the menu for day three:

Breakfast: Blueberry Buttermilk Bread; vanilla yogurt with blueberries; milk


Lunch: Boiled Water; apple wedges with peanut butter


Dinner: Beef Stir Fry over Rice (used the flank steak from the freezer, the Meyer lemons (called them "oranges") in my produce bin, the Green Giant teriyaki vegetables from the freezer, some fresh broccoli, onions, soy sauce, ginger, and cornstarch to make this)


Snack: Onion Dip with cucumber slices and raw broccoli (recipe follows)

Onion Dip - 1 Points Plus value per serving
Serves 12

What You Need:

• 1 cup minced onion
• 2 cups plain low-fat Greek yogurt)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• salt and pepper to taste

How it's Done:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill overnight (or all day).
2. Serve with veggie sticks, crackers, bread cubes...whatever!

Getting Back to Business

Thank you for all of your support in this difficult time. I'm getting to a place where my medications are levelling out in my system and I feel pretty good. I've been so sick of being out of commission! It was really nice to get back in the kitchen and create a meal today. I hope you enjoy it! ...and expect more, because I'm ready to get back to cooking!

Spanish tortilla is a potato and egg dish, not a tortilla like we use in Mexican cuisine. Don't worry about all the olive oil you use making it. Once you drain it off, it ends up only being 1/4 of a cup for six servings.

Spanish Tortilla
Serves 6 (5 Points Plus value per serving)

What You Need:

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 lb peeled and thinly sliced potatoes
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 8 large eggs, beaten
• salt and pepper to taste

How it's Done:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it glistens. After a few minutes, add the potatoes and onions, turning them over with a spatula to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook the potatoes and onions, turning every few minutes so as not to allow them to brown. You want the potatoes to soften so that they are easily pierced with a fork.
• Meanwhile, beat the eggs and season them with salt and pepper. Heat your oven to 350 degrees (this is the easiest way to finish cooking the tortilla).
• Once the potatoes are fork tender, drain them in a colander over a bowl, reserving the oil.
• Pour about two tablespoons of the reserved oil back into the skillet and return the potatoes and onions to the skillet. Place over medium heat.
• Pour the beaten eggs over the potatoes. Cook, undisturbed, about eight to ten minutes at medium-low, until the edges are set.
• Slide your spatula around the edges and under the tortilla to loosen it from the skillet.
• Move the skillet to the preheated oven and finish cooking (about ten minutes).
• Slice and serve.